When the Boss is away: 1st day of Advent 2017

1st day of Advent
December 3rd, 2017
Mark 13:33-37

"Beware, keep alert. You do not know when the time will come.

When the Kingdom comes it will be like a manager who is going away. When he leaves he puts his people in charge. Each is given their work. The manager instructs the security staff to be extra careful.

Therefore, keep alert- you do not know when the manager is returning - in the evening, or at midnight, or before sunrise, or in the morning.
Do not be caught unprepared when the manager returns.

I say to you, stay alert."

Happy New Year!!

Did you know the Church year does not begin on January 1?

It begins on Advent 1! So my sisters and brothers in Christ, Happy New Year!

As we begin this new year we are reminded of our great Hope - Jesus is coming again! For the Christ follower that is an awesome thought. It is the thought that shapes every moment of our lives. Just as Israel lived in expectation of the Saviour, so we the Church live expecting Jesus to return.
Today in our Gospel reading we hear Jesus encouraging us: stay alert, be diligent and be faithful because we do not know when He will return.

Jesus draws a comparison to a common human experience to help us understand God's expectations of the Church. He says it is like when a manager goes away and leaves his employees their tasks. Each person is assigned their work, given their responsibilities and trusted to do their work. Jesus encourages us to be alert and to go about our assigned tasks with diligence and integrity. When that manager returns they expect the assigned work to be properly completed. In the same way, when the King of kings and Lord of lords returns He expects to find that we have been diligent and faithful in fulfilling our work.

What has Jesus assigned us? A great question - an important question!

Jesus commands:
"You shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Matthew 22:39)

The "Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations" (Luke 24:47) and 

"Go then and teach all nations" (Matthew 28:19) This is our commission.

As we begin Advent we look forward with great hope and expectation to Jesus' return - He loves us so much. We hope and expect to live eternally with Him. In that hope and expectation, we find joy and peace.

But let us never forget - when Jesus returns, He hopes and expects to find us diligently about His business.

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Be blessed.

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Daily Readings: Lectionary Year B